I also picked up a watch I’ve had my eye on for some time – a Damasko DC66. This is a proper tool watch, 42mm without the crown and housing a workhorse Valjoux 7750 movement. The technical spec (as is the case with Damasko watches generally) is very impressive:
Case:
-Stainless steel, nickel-free, bead-blasted
-Ice-hardened to 60 HRC or 710 Vickers
-Integrated anti-magnetic inner cage, anti-magnetic to 80,000 A/m or 100 mT
-Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides
-Crystal gasket resistant to UV radiation
-Solid screw back with O-ring Viton™ gasket
-All gaskets made from Viton™ which offers a premium chemical resistance and which is superior to most other materials used in the watch industry
-New patented crown and pusher system, crown stem and pusher shafts are machined with minimal tolerances and leave almost no gap between pusher/crown and case, but nevertheless do not scratch. Crown and pushers are also equipped with a permanent lubrication that eliminates friction
-Crown, pushers, and tubes hardened to 60 HRC
-Bi-directional rotating bezel with exact minute engagement working with patented ceramic bearing
-Protected from the intrusion of dust by gasket element
-Hardened and scratchproof bezel insert finished with extremely abrasion-proof Damest layer with a hardness of 2500 HV
-Water resistant to 10 bars/100 metres according to DIN 8310
-Crystal has a secure fit even in case of a sudden negative pressure
That’s all quite something, and on the wrist it’s both exceptionally comfortable and very legible – despite that fact that there’s a fair bit happening on the dial. Anyway, here’s a couple of very quick shots, the second of which gives a taste of an AR coating that looks very blue in certain light.
I was more than happy with my Heuer GMT, but when the opportunity arose to pick up another that was almost NOS I decided to go ahead with what is effectively a straight swap (not in terms of price though, sadly). This one won’t be going anywhere, as I doubt it’s even possible to find an example of this relatively uncommon watch in better condition. I do fancy both the 11063 and a 2446C versions to go with it, but I’m reducing numbers. In fact…
I’m reducing numbers
I’m reducing numbers
I’m reducing numbers
I’m reducing numbers
I’m reducing numbers
I’m reducing numbers
I’m reducing numbers…
I managed to tweak my back yesterday, and as it hurts like you-know-what to sit down I decided to go for a nice walk for an hour or so. I don’t live in a very photogenic area so finding shots can be difficult, but I was kind of happy with these. Well, less unhappy than with the others.
It’s been a rather painful couple of weeks for me, if truth be told. I’d been a bit extravagant with regard to cameras and god knows what accessories of late, and then had my head turned by a car that I hadn’t planned on buying. A couple of watch sales that were intended to raise funds became trades instead, and the upshot is that I’ve gone down from 16 to 11 watches in quite a short space of time. Indeed, some of those that have gone have been quite delectable vintage pieces, but in truth I’ve been a little bored with Rolex – and with sports watches – for a while now. However, a constant craving – to quote Ms Laing – for months now has been a Reverso, and I’ve tried many on, met a few WIS to either window shop or consider buying a specific model and have mulled over the various sizes that JLC offer before finally making a decision. And it wasn’t even a decision that I’d have predicted, but more on that in a second…
I’ve written about the history of the Reverso before, but for those that aren’t familiar with it the story goes all the way back to the winter of 1930/31. Cesar de Trey – a swiss businessman – attended a British Army polo match where one of the officers had broken the crystal of his watch whilst playing. Trey was challenged to find a solution to this problem and having come up with an idea in terms of case design then came to an agreement with Jaques-David LeCoultre, who would provide the movement. LeCoultre commissioned Jaeger SA to build the case, and the Reverso was born officially in 1931.
Some digging around reveals the original patent drawings…
And, of course, the first Reverso to be made available (which has even now taken on the guise of the Tribute to 1931, which I’ve tried on and is gorgeous)… 38mm long, 24mm wide and just 6mm high, the same size as today’s Reverso Classique.
The watch became an immediate success, heralded not only for its quality but for the innovation in its design…
So, fast forward a mere 82 years, and the postman’s ring of the doorbell this morning bought something of a long chase to a rather wonderful end. I now have a Reverso Grande Sun Moon on my wrist as I type this post; it’s far more beautiful than I can adequately articulate, but hopefully the photos below do it just the slightest bit of justice in this respect. Guilloche dial, blued hands and a power reserve indicator in the top left corner – but the really breathtaking elements are the day/night indicator at top right and the moonphase with sub-seconds at bottom right. Somehow, with all that going on, the dial still seems beautifully balanced – a work of art, really.
The real wonder, though, is revealed when the watch is flipped over to show what can only be described as one of the most magnificent movements through the display back. The JLC calibre 873 is a handwound movement providing an incredible 8-day power reserve in what is a quite miraculous twin barrelled design. It consists of 213 parts and contains 25 jewels, all combining to beat at 28,800 vph. As if that’s not enough, the hand decoration is quite sublime, from the Cotes de Geneve stripes to the constellation of stars formed by the rubies and blued screws. In other words, a mirroring of the themes on the dial on the movement itself.
It’s probably obvious that I’m thrilled with this watch, and as I reduce the numbers even more over coming months I’m quite sure that it will see more wrist time than most. For now, though, all I can do is try in some way to demonstrate what I’ve been rambling on about. Hope you like the photos!
I’ve found that, of late, I’ve been suffering from sports watch overload. I’m drawn towards complications anyway, and more and more towards dressier styles of watch.
Over time, I’m intending to reduce my collection to seven watches; three of them will be at the dressier end of the scale and will include two JLC’s (the Perpetual Calendar and the Grande Reverso Sun Moon that’s due to arrive next week). The other will be this one, which I picked up today and have taken some first shots of. It’s an incredibly difficult watch to photograph, actually, and using high-power strobes just makes the task harder. As a first attempt, though, it’ll do.
Now, three from seven leaves four, and that’s going to be really tough.
I’ve been playing elsewhere with different lighting set-ups and thought I’d share one or two photos after taking some shots using multiple off-camera flash units. It gives some depth to the photos that’s otherwise hard to achieve, and I’m starting to get the hang of it.
Aside from that, it’s a chance to showcase a lovely watch 🙂
I saw a photo of an old pre-moon Ed White today, and it reminded me how much I love the old Speedies. This one (an ST145-022) is a little newer, dating from 1971 and therefore having the usual moon landing references on the caseback. However, it’s still a very beautiful thing and having popped the Omega alligator strap back on it I’m loving it even more.
I made up my mind recently that I was going to reduce the numbers a bit (especially after a bit of a splurge on camera gear) and this week I sold three very nice watches. I decided to console myself by having a browse at some watch porn on the net, though, and inadvertently stumbled across something rather beautiful.
The Glashutte Original Senator Automatic was discontinued a couple of years ago, and is an absolutely gorgeous, very simple (two-handed) classic dress watch; however, at 40mm it has a fantastic wrist presence. It’s powered by one of GO’s best movements ever, the 100 series, and in this particular variant it happens to be the 100-08. Automatic, 32 jewels, 55 hour power reserve, swan neck regulator and the usual impeccable standard of finish in terms of bevelled edges, polishing and sunburst decoration. In the usual GO style, the rotor is skeletonised and has a 21kt gold oscillation weight. The finish on dial, hands and case is also faultless, and to top it off the strap fitting is a touch of genius, wrapping around the case with absolutely perfect proportions.
I wasn’t looking to buy another watch right now, but with the Cartier leaving the stable I was in need of a simple dress watch with no complications whatsoever. I think this fits the bill.
I bought this watch months ago, but have only ever worn it with the spare heat-treated bezel insert that it came with. Until today, that is, when I popped the original bezel and insert on to see what it looks like.
What a difference! I’ll be keeping it like this now, as I think I may just prefer it.
I’d like to say a massive thank you to Blancpain (a wonderful manufacture, who were the most generous of hosts in providing an expenses-paid two day trip to their factory in Switzerland) and Watches of Switzerland in Cardiff (who, through Martin Bond, made it possible). Thank you, also, to Andy Good – Blancpain’s brand director in the UK – for being great company.
The view from the hotel
All 744 movement pieces from the Blancpain 1735
Watchmakers working on the high-end pieces (Tourbillons, Carrousels and Minute Repeaters)
Some tuition on complications
And lunch at the local greasy spoon before heading back
All in all, a wonderful and memorable trip!
I picked up some studio flash heads today, and have been trying a couple of shots to see how they come out. This one was with a softbox and a bit of fill light bounced from an umbrella… not bad, and with some practice I’m sure I can perfect it.
